


Not Even in Death

by Aurone



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Feels, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 04:39:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14301000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurone/pseuds/Aurone
Summary: Michele would do anything for those he loved even walk into Hades to get them back.  This story is based off the Greek Myth Orpheus and Eurydice.





	Not Even in Death

Michele was reading when his phone rang.  He laid down his book and sighed as he picked up the phone to see who was calling.  He smiled when he saw it was Emil.

_Wonder what he wants?_

Michele answered the phone, “Hello?”

“Michele?”

“Yes, Emil.”

“Oh, hi.”

Michele inwardly groaned. _This boy is going to be the death of me._

Michele asked,“What is it you want, Emil?”

Emil, stuttering, replied, “Uh. . . I wanted to tell you that Mila and I are going to be climbing and repelling in Italy.  When we are done, we would like to come visit you and Sara. If that would be alright.”

Michele tried to keep his voice even as not to give away his excitement as he said, “That would be fine.  Just let us know when to expect you.”

Emil said excitedly, “Great! Can’t wait to see you.”

Michele rolled his eyes.

“It will be nice to see you too.  Have fun climbing and be safe.”

“Will do, see you soon.”

“Bye, Emil.”

Michele hung up the phone.

_I’m glad he and Mila are going to stop by and visit.  It’s been awhile since we have seen either of them. And maybe, just maybe, while he is here I can finally find the nerve to tell him how I feel._

*****

A week later

 

Sara heard her cell phone ring.  She picked it up off the table and looked at the caller ID.  It was Mila. She eagerly answered the phone.

Sara said, “Mila, I didn’t expect to hear from you.  I thought you were still rock climbing with Emil. We weren’t expecting you two for another week.”

A broken sob echoed through the phone.

Sara asked, “Mila? What’s wrong.”

Mila brokenly answered, “Sara, I. . . am so. . . sorry.  I. . . I was right there and I still couldn’t save him.”

Sara asked, “Save who?”

Mila replied, “Emil.”

Mila broke down sobbing again.

Sara said, “Mila? What happened?  Is Emil okay?”

Mila choked out, “No. . . He’s dead, Sara.”

Sara, dazed, asked, “What?! How!?”

Mila replied, “We were repelling down the cliffs and his rope broke. I was at the top.  There was nothing I could do. We were always so careful with our equipment. We always double checked our ropes. I just don’t understand how this happened.”

Sara sat down hard on a chair in her living room, tears running her face as what Mila was telling her sank in.

_Oh God, please not Emil. How am I going to tell Mickey? It will destroy him. How could this happen? He was so young. Such a good person.  We are going to miss him terribly._

Sara turned her attention to Mila who was still sobbing in the phone and said, “Mila, I am so sorry.  Are you okay? Are you home or still. . .”

Mila replied, “No, I’m still at the hospital. I. . . I am trying to help Emil’s family get him home.  Then I will go back to Russia. I owe him that much at least.”

Sara said, “I understand. Do you need me to come up there?”

Mila said, “No.  I’ll be alright. You need to stay with Michele.  This is going to hit him hard. I have to go. They need me to fill out some paperwork but I just thought you should know what happened.  I’ll call you back when I can.”

Sara replied, “I know.  Call if you need _anything,_ Ok? Take care of yourself. Talk to you soon.”

The line when dead. Sara let out the sob she had been holding back.

_I didn’t want to upset Mila any more than she already was.  Now I have to tell Mickey. May God help me._

She looked upstairs towards their bedrooms.  They had a day off from skating and had elected to stay home. She got up from her chair and slowly trudged upstairs.  She found herself in front of her brother’s door. She took a deep breath and hesitantly knocked.

“Come in.”

Mickey turned to look at Sara as she entered his room.

_Has she been crying?_

He asked, “Sara, what’s wrong.”

Sara, losing her composure, replied, “He’s gone, Mickey.  I can’t believe it, but he’s gone. We’ll never see his smile again. What are we going to do?”

Mickey, confused, asked, “Who’s gone?  What are you talking about?”

Sara sobbed out, “Emil.”

Mickey, concerned, asked, “What about Emil?  He is rock climbing with Mila, isn’t he?”

Sara said, “There was an accident.”

Mickey, panic starting to set in, asked “Is he okay?  Tell me what happened, Sara.”

“He’s dead, Mickey.”

“No. . . not Emil.  It just can’t be. . . he was so young. So alive. What happened?”

“His rope broke, and he fell. Mila saw it happen but there was nothing she could do.”

Mickey stood from his desk to hug his sister.  Sara completely broke down in his arms.

Mickey thought, _I never got to tell him how I felt.  I always thought we would have more time._

Sara looked up to see silent tears running down her brother’s face.

She softly asked, “You loved him, didn’t you?”

Michele only nodded.

Sara said, “I am sorry, Mickey.  So very sorry.”

****

A Month Later

 

After Emil’s funeral, which Michele did attend, he receded into himself.  He barely talked to Sara and spent a lot of time alone in his room. The new skating season was going to begin soon. Sara knocked on Michele’s door.

She said, “Michele, we need to go to the rink.  Coach says it time to start on our new programs.”

Michele replied, “Ok.”

A few moments later Michele came out of his room with his equipment. Sara looked at her brother.

_He looks like Hell.  I know he is suffering but I don’t know how to help.  Emil would have known how to get him out of this funk._

Sara blinked her eyes.  She couldn’t cry in front of her brother.  

_I don’t want him to ask me what is wrong._

They walked to the rink in silence.  When they got there, they both began choreographing their new programs.

Sara asked, “Are you going to skate about. . .”

Michele nodded with a pained look on his face.

_What else can I do,_ Michele thought, _I have nowhere else to put this emotion._

Sara asked, “Do you have a song, yet?”

Michele replied, “Unchained Melody.”

Sara said, “Oh.”

Michele skated away from his sister and began to try to turn his heartbreak into art.

****

A Couple of Months Later

 

_I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t finish this routine._

Michele stopped in the middle of the ice rink.

_The ice doesn’t even feel right anymore.  Maybe I’ll retire. Emil took my heart with him and I need it to skate._

Michele skated off the rink and took off his skates and gathered his gear.

“Sara.” He yelled.  “I am going home. See you later.”

Sara nodded her head.  She watched her brother leave the ice.

_What do I do? He’s still struggling but. . . And Mila is too and I wish I could be there for her.  She has her Russian skating family, though. Mickey has no one but me._

Michele slowly walked home.  It wasn’t like there was anything waiting for him.  On his way, he passed a couple of tourists.

The boy said, “Let’s go to Lago d'Averno.  In the volcanic caves, there is supposedly an entrance to Hades.”

The girl replied, “That’s creepy.  Why do you want to go there for?”

They walked out of Michele’s hearing.

_Entrance to Hades, huh? Maybe I could go there and convince Hades to give me Emil back like Orpheus did with Eurydice.  But I sure as Hell wouldn’t turn around until we got to the surface. I couldn’t stand to lose him twice!_

*****

The idea festered in his mind for days before he finally pulled out his tome of Roman and Greek mythology. He reread the story of Orpheus and his lost love, Eurydice.

_What a wonderful dream that would be.  If I could go rescue Emil from Death. But that kind of thing only happens in stories, not in real life._

Michele sighed and put the book away.  

_I wasted so much time.  There were so many times I could have asked him to dinner with Sara and I, or gone out with him after competitions.  So many opportunities I could have told him how I felt. But I was scared, and now I will never get that chance._

_****_

A couple of weeks later Sara cornered her brother in their living room.

She said, “Mickey, I’m concerned about you.  You haven’t been to practice in weeks. Coach is concerned, too.”

Michele replied, “I’m retiring.”

“What?!”

“I can’t skate anymore.  That part of me died with Emil.”

“You need to get some help, Mickey.  Professional help. Promise me you will see someone? And promise me you. . . you won’t do anything stupid.”

“I’ll call this afternoon and get an appointment.”

Sara said, “Thank you, Mickey.”

She gave her brother a hug.  

“I’ve just been so worried about you.”

“I know.  I am sorry. It. . . just hit me hard, Emil’s death.  I never noticed how much he was a part of my life until he was gone.”  

Tears began to run down Michele’s face. Sara held her brother while he finally grieved for Emil.  That afternoon, Michele made an appointment for the following week with a therapist.

_I don’t plan on being here for that appointment.  I will be with Emil, one way or another._

***

Michele hoisted his backpack on his shoulders as he walked toward the caves.  He didn’t pack much. He had some Roman coins he had found when he was younger, just in case he needed to pay a certain Ferryman; a bone, his plan for avoiding Cerberus; and his skates.  They were sharp enough to do the trick in case this was all just the pipe dream that Michele was sure it was. He located the cave that was supposed to be the entrance to the underworld. He walked into the cave.

_I’ll just walk to the back of it, that way I won’t be found too quickly._

Once he began walking into the cave, he found the environment curious.  It wasn’t as dark as he was expecting; neither was it dank. He should have been able to smell the volcanic rock, but that was strangely absent as well.  It was musty and had the feel as if nothing living had been within its walls in awhile. His footsteps echoed through the cavern as if the cavern was affronted that he had broken its silence.  The path angled downward and Michele followed the path until he reached a river. The banks of the river were dark and foreboding. Nothing grew along the side of it. Michele heard the river before he saw it.

_The river sounds. . . what’s wrong with it?  Those sound like screams and moans?!_

As Michele approached, he really looked at the river.

_Are those faces? Is. . . is this the River Styx?! Can’t be, can it? Oh God, those are souls, souls of the dead. Dear God. . ._

Michele was startled out of his thoughts, as a boat pulled up alongside the bank where he was standing. On it stood a robed figure.  The figure didn’t speak but held out a bony hand palm up towards Michele. Michele fished out one of the Roman coins and gave it to the figure. The figure considered the coin and then nodded.  Michele gathered his courage and got into the boat. The ferryman silently rowed him across the river. Michele tried his best to not look at the river. He shivered when his eyes strayed to the water.

_It’s disturbing to see all the souls trapped in there.  I hope no one I know is trapped in the river._

When they reached the far bank, Michele got off the boat and walked as quickly as he could away from the river and its trapped souls. He soon found himself approaching a large black gate.

_Is that the gate to Hades?  Is that Cerberus? Oh. . . My. . . God.  It is. Cerberus actually exists! How am I going to get past him? Can I actually do this? Get Emil back?_

For the first time, hope began to blossom in Michele’s chest. He walked towards the gate.  Before he could lose his nerve, Michele took out the bone he had brought and tossed it at the vicious looking three headed dog.  The middle head caught it and Michele slipped past the guard dog as the heads fought amongst themselves for the treat.

Once through the gate, Michele found himself in a field surrounded by the shades of the dead.

_This must be the Fields of Asphodel.  No one looks happy nor do they look sad.  Everyone seems so neutral. It’s kind of disturbing. I wonder where I go now?  The story never mentioned how to get to Hades’ Palace._

He wondered around the field until eventually, a man holding what looked like a lyre approached him.

He, to Michele, said, “You are not dead.”

Michele shook his head, “No, I’m not.”

The shade asked, “Then, why are you here?”

Michele replied, “To retrieve someone important to me who was taken too soon.”

The shade smiled a wistful smile and looked back at the lady shade he had been walking with.  “I understand. I’ll guide you to the palace.”

Michele said, “Thank you.”

Michele followed the shade through the Fields of Asphodel to the Palace of Hades. The shade parted ways with him at the door to the palace.

The shade said, “Good luck to you.  May Hades grant your wish as he did mine. But for the sake of the Gods don’t look back until you both reach the light.”

Michele nodded and said, “I won’t. Thank you again.”

Michele went into the palace and soon found himself standing in front of the King and Queen of the dead.

Hades said, “You still yet live.  The living are not welcome here. What is your business in my realm?”

Michele took a steadying breath and replied, “Great Hades, lord of the dead, I have come to ask for the return of my love. I was coward during his short life and never told him how I felt.  Now I find life not worth living without him. If you shall not grant my request then you should find me a permanent guest soon.”

Hades said, “Hmm, why should I grant this to you.  You are not the only one who has ever lost a chance of love to death's embrace.”

Michele, caught by surprise, said, “I. . . um. . . I.”

Michele shook his head and said, “I am not so good at expressing my feelings with words.  I am a figure skater, could I. . . could I skate for you instead? Show you why?”

Persephone clapped her hands.

Turning towards Hades, She said, “Please? I never get to see professional figure skaters perform live.  I am always here during the skating season.”

Hades sighed but gestured to Michele to follow. They made their way to a lake behind the palace. Hades used his power to freeze it. Michele found the song on his phone, and handed it to Persephone.

Michele asked, “Push play when I am ready?”

She nodded.

Michele said, “This is the routine I created to skate this year in competition, before I found that I no longer had my heart.  Emil took it with him with his death, and I could no longer find it in me to skate. I created it for him.”

He nodded at Persephone and she started the music.  “Unchained Melody” rang out through the gloomy air as Michele gave the performance of his life. The routine that just wouldn’t work for him before, finally came to life. The jumps were crisp and clean.  The expression the best he had ever done. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute to the friend and love he had lost. It was perfect. Michele had tears running down his face as he finished. He looked up to see that Persephone was also crying.

She turned to her husband and asked, “Please? That was so moving, there was so much pain.  What harm could it do to relieve one mortal’s suffering. Count it as payment for his skating.”

Hades looked into her eyes and knew he couldn’t deny her.

Hades sighed and said, “Alright, I will give him back to you on two conditions.  One, never perform that routine again. It was your tribute to my wife.”

Michele nodded.

“Two, until you get back to the surface you may not turn around and look at him.  I promise he will follow. If you look at him, he will be condemned back into death.  I will first bring him before you. You may not speak nor touch the shade. As soon as you turn your foot towards Apollo’s light, you may not look back until you both are free of my realm.”

Michele nodded again.

Hades called the spirit of Emil to him.  Michele looked longingly at Emil. He reached out as if to touch him but remembered the warning and stopped himself. Tears once again flowed down his face to see Emil in such a state.

_I have missed him so much._

Hades asked, “Is this the one?”

Michele croaked out, “Yes.”

Hades said, “Then go.  Leave my realm and do not return until it is time for you to reside here permanently.”

Michele nodded and turned towards the exit to the Palace as they began the long trek back to the surface. They passed through the Fields of Asphodel.  The shade that had helped him smiled as he saw him go past with a shade following behind him. Cerberus let them pass through the black gate, and the ferryman rowed them across the River Styx. All the while Michele kept his face dutifully forward.

_I will not turn and look until we are far past the surface.  I will not lose Emil the way Orpheus lost Eurydice._

Finally, they were back in the gloom of the original lifeless caves. He longed to look back at Emil as they traversed the gloomy caverns but he remembered the words of the shade who had helped him.  Even when the silence became stifling and unnerving, he did not look back. He would not lose Emil that way.

He told himself again. _I will not make Orpheus’ mistake._

When Michele finally made it to the surface, he walked away from the cave a distance.  He waited until he felt Emil’s hand on his shoulder. He finally turned to see Emil standing there as alive as he could be. Michele gave into his emotions and hugged Emil.  Emil hugged him back.

Michele said, “I thought l’d lost you.”

Emil looked down at Michele with tears in his eyes.

Emil said, “You came for me.”

Michele said, “Always.”

Emil said, “I can’t believe you came for me.”

Michele brought Emil’s head down so that their lips could meet. The kiss was lost to a flash of blinding light. . .

****

Michele woke up in an uncomfortable chair in an unfamiliar room.  He looked around at the sterile white walls.

_Where am I?  Looks like a hospital room._

He looked down to find himself seated next to a hospital bed that had Emil in it. An Emil that was injured, but alive. He felt a strange sensation in his head as new memories formed beside the old.  Instead of dying, Emil was badly hurt. They had taken him to a hospital near the cliffs. Michele had come to the hospital as soon as he heard. He hadn’t left Emil’s side since. They had been there for the three months that had passed between the original accident and present day.  Emil had been in a coma during that entire time. Originally, Mila and Sara had visited, and stayed with Michele but they both needed to practice and get ready for the upcoming competitions. Michele had opted to take the year off to be with Emil. He now held the bedside vigil alone, waiting for Emil to wake.

_He has a full body cast.  He broke so many bones. He will never skate competitively again.  I never asked him what he wanted. I selfishly brought him back without considering what that would mean for him. Have I done him a disservice by bringing him back?  Does he even feel about me the way I feel about him?_

Michele was jolted out of these thoughts by Emil stirring as he came out of the coma.  Emil squeezed Michele’s hand that was holding the fingers of Emil’s less injured arm.

Michele said, “You are awake!”

Emil asked, “I’m alive?”

Michele said, “Yes. . . Yes you are.”

Michele smiled.

Emil, tears sliding down his face, said, “I died.  I remember dying, and entering Hades. You came for me. I can’t believe you came for me.  Damn Mickey, you actually walked into Hades and convinced the Lord of the dead to let me go. Why?”

Michele blushed and said, “I couldn’t skate or live without you.”

Emil said, “Oh.”

Michele, taking a deep breath, said, “I don’t know how you feel about me, but . . . you mean everything to me.  Emil, what I am trying to say is, I love you. I was actually going to confess when you came to visit but. . .”

Tears started to gather in Michele’s eyes, slipping silently down his cheeks as he looked into Emil’s blue ones.

Michele continued, “Please don’t leave me again.  You left without me being able to tell you how I felt. I just couldn’t. . . I don’t know . . . did I do the right thing. . . you’re really hurt.  I don’t think you’ll be about to skate again.”

Emil looked at Michele.  His eyes widening and his mouth opened in shock.  

Emil finally said, “You. . . I. . . what?”

Emil took a calming breath and then continued,  “My only regret in dying was not telling you how I felt. I. . . love you, too.”

Emil blushed and continued, “I am so glad just to be with you.  I don’t care how injured I am or if I will be able to skate again.”

Michele leaned over and kissed Emil softly on the lips.

When they parted, Michele said, “I am going to go get the doctor to check you out since you evidently just woke up from a three month coma. I’ll help you with this, your recovery.  I took the year off skating to help you.”

Emil started, “Mickey. . .”

Michele, holding up a hand, said, “Nope.  It’s already done. Nothing you can say can change it now. I’ve made up my mind. I want to spend this time with you and be there for you.”

Emil smiled and said. “Okay.  I’d like that.”

****

A year later

 

_It took a year, but I have finally been cleared to get back on the ice._

Emil looked up to see that Michele was already on the ice.

_He kept his word.  He has stayed with me through all of it.  Through the pain, the re-hab, all my frustrations, and even the nightmares.  He has been so good to me._

Emil finished lacing up his skates and was about to get up and get on the ice when the music started. Michele began skating a routine that Emil had never seen before.

_Is this his new exhibition skate?  It’s beautiful._

When the routine was finished, Michele skated over to where Emil was standing.

Emil asked, “Is that your new exhibition routine?  It was beautiful. I could feel the love in it.”

Michele replied, “No.”

Emil looked startled.

Michele continued, “I made that one for you.  And you will be the only one to ever see it.”

Emil, getting choked up, asked, “Why would you do that?”

Michele replied, “So I could ask you this.”

Michele pulled out a ring and got down on one knee on the ice and asked, “Will you marry me, Emil.”

Emil looked shocked and tears started to fall down his face.

Michele panicked and thought _oh, no.  Is it too soon?  Does he not want this?  Have I fucked up? How do I make this right?  I can’t. . ._

Emil skated out onto the ice to where his boyfriend was kneeling.  He gestured for Michele to get up. When Michele was standing, Emil enveloped him in a hug.

Emil said, “Yes. . .yes.  I will marry you. I love you.”

Michele relaxed and smiled as he put the simple gold band with a diamond on it on Emil’s finger.

Michele said, “I love you, too.”

He then pulled Emil down into a kiss that held all the promise of a wonderful life together.  And not even death could separate them, for when their mortal existence was through they entered Hades’ realm together, hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed my re-telling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Please leave comments or kudos or come by and chat with me on Tumbler https://auronevardell.tumblr.com/


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